Mining-machine.



H. A. KUHN." n MINING MACHINE* APPLlcATloN .man MAY 18. 1914.

Patend July 11, 1916 2 SHEETS-SHEET l I H. A. KUHN.

MINING MACHINE. l APPLICATION FIED MAYIB. 1914.

Ptented July 141, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ow QR infirme-MACHINE.

To all wim-m it may concern:

Be .it known that I, HARRY A. KUHN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mining- Machines; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to machines for mining coal.

The present invention applies especially to the min-ing of coal, where there has been an undercut made in the solid body of coal and the coal has been expanded along its lines of cleavage by shooting, the main object of the machine being to remove this coal in lump form, and breaking up or destroying the bands of slate'which may occur in such coal and. which will act to bridge the coal and prevent its being dislodged by undermining, in accordance with a method of mining coal set forth and claimed by yme in an application filed October 21, 1913, Serial No. 795,497.

ln the aecompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a like view partly in section showing the machine in its raised position. Fig. 4 1s a plan View of a modification.

The numeral :Zdesignates a suitable frame which may be composed of beams, anglebar's, etc., united to form a rigid construction. This frame is supported normally in an inclined position, its rear end being carried by the truck 3, which is provided with the axle 4 on which the traction wheels 5 are mounted. The wheels 5 and the mechansm for driving same are housed in the box or casing 6. axle 4 is the friction sheave 7 which is en- 'gagedn by the friction sheave 8 on the shaft nected to the crank arm 16 on the stud shaft 17 which is mounted on the bracket 18. l To Specification of Letters Iatent.

Within the casing 6 on thev Patented July 11, 1916.

.application filed May 18, 1914. Serial No. 839,328.

the outer end of the stud shaft 17 is connected the operating lever 19. It is apparent that by operating the lever 19, lthe toggle member 12 is operated to move the friction member 8 into or out of contact with the friction sheave 7 to transmit power to the driving axles.

Mounted on the shaft l9 is a sprocket' wheel 20, the'chain 2l passing around the sprocket wheel 20 and around the sprocket wheel 22 of the .shaft 23 mounted in the frame. Mounted on the shaft 23 is the worm wheel 24 which' is connected with'the shaft 32 has the clutch bars 33 adapted to receive the square end of the shaft 34 of the motor 35. This motor, which in the present case is an electric motor, is the driving power for the undercutting mechanism 36, which may be of the ordinary construction, comprising a cutter chain which is driven by power transmitted from the Inotor 35.. When this undercutting mechanism is mounted onthe frame 2, the motor shaft 34 engages the clutch box 33, and power is transmitted from the motor to the mechanism for connecting the traction wheels 5 to theotherl parts of the mechanism to be hereinafter described.

In front of the truck 3 are the steering wheels 40 which support the forward end of the frame 2; Channels 41 are secured to the frame 2, said channels being inclined and the flanges of said channels forming a track for the rollers/42 of the buggy 43. The buggy 43 has the threaded nut 44 with which the threaded bar 45 engages. The upper end of the threaded bar has the pin` ion 45a which meshes with the pinion 46 on the shaft 47. wheel 48 which meshes with the gear wheel 27. By the rotation of the threaded bar 45 the buggy is advanced with its rollers 42 moving in the channel bars 41, and in this way the front end of the frame 2 is lifted, as indicated in Fig. 3.

To operate the steering wheels 40, hand wheels 49.,.are 'provided mluinted on the shaft 50,' said shaft vcarrying the worm 51 This shaft 47 has the gear.

v a wider cut. The front edges of the ights 58 are formed with integral cutters or diggers 58, or if desired, said cutters or diggers `may be made detachable and are adapted to cut or dig` under the body, of coal which has been lowered by shooting, as fully hereinafter set forth. The cutters on the flights are preferably arranged alternately eXtending upwardly and downwardly so as to make are preferably beveled to an edge as indicated at 59 to enable them to passr readily through the mass of coal.

The pan 60 is secured to the frame 2 below the flights and said flights are adapted to travel along the said pan and convey the coal which is dislodged onto the pan by the action of the diggers or cutters. The coal is discharged at the rear into the pit wagon 61.

Extending up from the frame 2 are the pedestals 62 which .form the support for the shaft 63 which is journaled therein. 'lhis shaft 63thas the pinions 64 which mesh with the teeth 65 on the side bars 66 of the frame 67. The forward end of the frame 67 has its side bars connected by pins 68 to the lugs 69 on the. tilting frame 70. The tilting frame 70 has the shaft 71 with the key or feather 72 extending longitudinally thereof. Mounted on the shaft 71 `are the disks 73 provided with the cutters 74, said disks being adapted to be moved alongl the shaft 72 and having grooves in their hubs engaging; the key 72 on said shaft 71.

A shaft 79 is mounted in suitable bearings in the frame 2, said shaft at its inner end having the gear wheel 80, which meshes with the pinion 81 connected up with the motor 35. Beveled pinions 82 and 83 are connected at the forward end of the shaft 79 and slidable on the keys 84 on said shaft. A yoke 85 is connected up to the beveled pinions 82 and 83, and said yoke is operated by the lever 86 for throwing said beveled pinions into and out of engagement with the reversingpinion 87. The pinion 87lis mounted on the vertical shaft 88 and at the upper end of said shaft is the worm 89, which meshes with the Worm wheel 90 .on the shaft 63. In this manner power is applied to *move the frame 67 and tilt the tilting frame 70 at different angles as may be desired.

.tion indicated in Fig. 2 to 'permit of the Tn orderto drive the shaft 71 and the 65 disks carried therebythe shaft 79 is provided with clutch mechanism 91 operated by the lever 92. The shaft.,93 which is connected up to the shafts 79 by the clutch mecha-- nism has the beveled` pinion 94 which meshes with the beveled pinion 95 on the shaft 96. A sprocket wheel 97 on the shaft 96 is connected by the chain 98 with the sprocket wheel 99 on the shaft 71.

In the operation of my improved machine, the undercntting mechanism 36 is dragged olf the frame 2 and brought into position' in the ordinary manner, as` set forth in said application Serial No. 796,497, and the undercut made in the solid wall of the coal whereupon said undercut'ting mechanism is drawn back onto the frame, 2, the tilting frame having been thrown up 'into the posisaid undercutting mechanism clearing the cutting disks 7 3. The undercut having been made and the coal expanded along its lines of cleavage by shooting, as set forth in said application, and the expanded coal having i settled into the undercut, the lnachine is then advanced so as to bring the cutters and fiights in operation to form a second undercut under the mass of expanded coal, and along the sane line as the original undercut. The machine in this operation is inclined as indicated in Fig. 2, and when the cutters and flights have been advanced a proper distance under the coal, the cutting disks 73 are then brought into play and in order to bring said cutting disks into proper position, the beveled pinion 87 thrown into engagement with either pinion 82 or 83 whereupon the shaft 68 is rotated and the lpinions 64 engage the teeth 65 of thev frame 67, lower the disks 73 into prositiontc cut into the wall of expanded coal and inakevertical cuts therein. After the 'cutting disks have been brought into this position, the feed screw 45 is rotated and the buggy 43 is advanced thereby raising the forward end of the frame 2 as clearly set forth and described in an application of even date herewith, Serial No. 839,327. As the frame continues to rise, the cutting disks move upwardly cutting a vertical groove in the coal and breaking up any bands which may be in the coal, at the lsame time coperating with the cuttersand flights 5,8 to dislodge the coal; said coal will be released of its adhesions along the lines of cleavage, and any lumps formed will drop onto the conveyer to' be carried back to the car. In this machine I have therefore not only the means for undercutting the expanded coal and applyingan upward pressure, as in said application- Serial No. 839,327, but in addtion lf have the advantage of the vertically arranged cutting disks which sever the coal for advancing the same laterally into the along vertical lines acting to further disrupt or destroy the bridging effect of the bands and at the same time shearing the bed of expanded coa-l and removing it in large lumps. i i

If desired the frame 2 may be advanced without elevating and the disks 73 may be moved up .or down to cut the mass of coal.

In case the cutting disks 72 should meet with such resistance in the way of slate formations as to endanger said cutting disks, the cutting disks may be moved along the shaft Tl to different positions, so as to enter the coal at different points. The withdrawal of the cutting disks can always be effected readily by the mechanism described and the disks thrown back intothe position indicated in Fig. 2, where they are out of the way and will in no way interfere with the moving of the undercutting mechanism 3G onto or off the frame 2. v

In Fig. 4f I'have illustrated a modified form of my invention in which I employ a drum 100 with bits l01therein instead of the disks 73.v The drive is tlie same as in the first instance.

lVhatI claim is:

l. In a mining machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless' chain, cutting mechanism carried thereby, means wall of coal, conveyingmechanism, means for moving said frame at an angle to the line of travel of the cutting mechanism and simultaneously therewith,- and cutting mech# lanism carried by said frame working at an I, angle to the first named cutting mechanism.

2. In a mining machine, the combination with a suitable, frame, of an endless chain,

cutting mechanism carriedthereby, means for advancing the same laterally into the wall of coal, conveying mechanism, means for raising said frame at an angle to the line of' movement of the cutting mechanism, and simultaneously therewith, and a cutting disk carried by said frame operating at an angle to the line of cut of said first cutting mechanism,

3. In a mining-machine, the combination with a'V suitable frame, of an endless., chain, cutting mechanism carried thereby, means for advancing the saine laterally into a mass of'coal, conveying mechanism, a swinging frame carried by said firstnamed frame, and cutting mechanism carried by .said swinging frame operating at an angleto the line .of movement of said first named cutting mechanism.

4. Inamining machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless chain,

cutting mechanism carried thereby, meansA for' advancing the same laterally into `the 'mass ,of coal, conveying mechanism, a

swinging frame 'on said -first nameol frame,

cutting inechanismon said frame moving at an angle to the lineof movement ofthe first named cutting mechanism, and means for raising and lowering said swinging frame. 'i

5.In a mining machine, tlie'combination with a suitable frame, of cutting mechanism carried thereby, means for advancing same into the mass of coal, conveying mechanism, a swinging frame on said first named frame, cutting mechanism carried by said swinging frame,' operating at an angle to the line of` of coal, conveying mechanism, a swinging.

frame carried by said first named frame, a series of cutting disks carried by said swinging frame, and means 4for raising and lowering said swinging frame.

7 `In a mining machine, the combination of a frame normally supported at an incline, an' endless chain, cutting mechanism carried by said chain, means for advancing same laterally into the massofcoal, conveying mechanism, means forraising the forward end of said frame, and cutting mechanism carried by said-frame operating at an angle to the line of movement of said first named cutting mechanism.

8. In a mining machine, the combination Aof a frame normally 'inclined downwardly at an angle to the line of cut of'said firstnamed cutting mechanism; and means for simultaneously operating s'aidcutting mechanisms and elevating-the 'forward end of said frame.` f

9. In a mining machine, the combination with a suitable'fi'ame, of an endless chain, cutting mechanism carried thereby, means for advancing same laterally into the mass ofcoal, conveying mechanism, 'a swinging yoke frame carried by said first named i frame, a. shaft in said yoke frame, cutting mechanism carried by shaft, means for driving said shaft, and means for raising and lowering-said swinging yoke frame.

l0. In a mining machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of cutting mechanism carried thereby, means for advancing the same into the mass of coal, conveying meoh. anism, a swinging frame on said first named `frame, cutting mechanism carried by said.

' frame, operating at an angle to the` line of In testimony whereof, I the said'i yHARRY movement of said first named cutting meoh- A. KUHN have hereunto set m hand. anisln, a rack connected to said swinging HARRY KUHN. frame, a raised support on said rst named Witnesses: v f A 5 frame, and a pinion carried by said raised JOHN F. WILL,

support and engaging said rack. RoBT. D. TOTTEN. 

